Author's Note:

Hey, would you look at that, an early update! I managed to spit out a chapter in one day today (not this one, I'm a bit further ahead but I intend to keep it that way so the updates don't dry up) which is a huge deal for me so I thought I'd celebrate with a nice post. So, here you go! This chapter's pretty short but it sets up for the action to come.

Happy Reading!

Chapter Two

Freefall

Wilf would be the first to admit that he was still more than a little fuzzy on the topic of regeneration, his only explanation coming from a miserable, frightened Doctor, but even so he could make a few observations for himself. First and foremost this new, younger-looking, version of the Doctor was far clumsier than the last.

"It's alright, Wilf, no need to panic!" the new Doctor shouted against the wind whipping in and around his ship.

The old human rolled his eyes, lowering himself slowly to his knees and reaching out the TARDIS's open door towards the Time Lord dangling there. "'Course not, Doctor, now take my hand!"

But the Doctor wasn't paying attention. He was spinning wildly, his fingers struggling to keep their grip on his ship's floor as the TARDIS spun and rolled out of control. "Uh oh…" he said suddenly, his voice getting lost in the wind but the expression on his face unmistakable as he looked up from attempting to make out where they were going. "Wilfred!" he shouted, raising his voice above the noise, "Now, there's still no need to panic, but you need to pull the big lever on the console, preferably quickly!"

"No need to panic my arse," Wilf muttered, trying to ignore that very emotion as it prickled at the back of his mind. He heaved himself back to his feet, staggered across the room, and crashed painfully into the center control panel as the ship lurched violently. Clinging to the console he scanned the various buttons and levers in front of him before grabbing the biggest lever he could fine and giving it a pull.

The TARDIS gave an almighty lurch and rocketed upwards leaving the old human very grateful of the fact that he was already holding tight to the controls before him or he was sure his ride would have been far more unpleasant. As it was he managed to maintain his grip until the flight evened out and only then was he able to make his way back to the open door. "Doctor?" he called, lowering himself to his knees and leaning out into the wind with his hand outstretched once more, "C'mon, take my hand!"

He was met with an exhausted grin as the alien looked up at him before, at long last, reaching upwards with one hand until their figures met. Planting his feet and bracing himself against the doorframe, Wilf heaved with all his might and managed to haul the Doctor, with some difficulty, back into the TARDIS. The two men fell back against the wall, panting and sliding into sitting positions as the door slammed shut almost irritably behind them.

Closing his eyes, the Time Lord let out a breathless laugh. "You alright, Wilf?" he wheezed.

"Me?" the old human asked in disbelief, "You were the one hangin' out into the bloody Time Vortex."

"Not the Time Vortex," the Doctor corrected, opening his eyes and pushing his still unfamiliar hair out of his face, "We never made it that far. I meant to… Wanted to…" He fell silent, a frown creasing his face for a moment before jumping, somewhat unsteadily, back to his feet and rushing towards the console.

But as brief as it was the flash of sadness was enough to remind Wilf just who this stranger was. "What about you, Doctor, you doin' alright?"

"'Course I'm alright!" the Time Lord replied brightly, his back to Wilf as he scrambled around the central structure in a valiant attempt to get his ship under control, "I'm always alright!"

Wilf arched one eyebrow but chose to keep his doubts to himself and focused instead on clambering back to his feet. This endeavour was complicated, however, by the fact that the TARDIS had suddenly begun shaking so badly that it was nearly impossible to see straight. "Doctor!" he shouted, all but clinging to the wall to stay upright, "Doctor, what's happening?"

The Time Lord didn't react right away, continuing instead with his attempts to regain control of his ship, but after a brief moment he ceased his frantic dance around the console and turned to face his passenger with his hands clenched into nervous fists in front of his chest. He took one stumbling step forward, glanced back at the controls, then seemed to come to a decision. He launched himself unceremoniously across the TARDIS, careening off course a few times before using the wall to catch himself when he reached Wilf's side. "Right," he said, gripping the elderly man's shoulder just a little too tightly, "This may hurt a bit but you've got to keep hold of me."

"What are you – " But the old human never got the chance to finish his question. He'd known that they were crashing (the console room was on fire, how could they not be) but still the force of impact was more than he could ever have imagined. One second he was face to face with the Doctor and the next, well the next second the world went to hell.

The impact sent both men tumbling towards the floor but the contact never came, instead they just kept falling. The interior of the TARDIS seemed to be spinning of its own accord but Wilf had the sneaking suspicion that it was actually the gravity inside the ship changing direction every few seconds which was causing their freefall be bare a stronger resemblance to a pinball bouncing around its machine than two people falling. They careened here and there, the Doctor's hands gripping him so tightly now that a small part of his brain registered that he was likely going to have bruises from the treatment, the majority of his brain, however, realized that without the rough treatment they'd have surely been separated in the fall. They were falling through room after room, their uncontrolled path taking them through open doors or, more painfully, bouncing them off walls, floors or ceilings until they found an opening of some kind. A few times Wilf felt certain that gravity had simply flipped one hundred and eighty degrees and sent them tumbling back the way they'd come.

And then, quite suddenly, there came a splash and the Doctor's hands slipped from his shoulders for the first time since the ordeal began. Wilfred attempted to call out only to discover, in the most uncomfortable way possible, that he was completely underwater and felt panic begin to rise up inside him as he realized that because of the nature of their fall he had no idea which direction would take him to the surface. Forcing himself to think logically (something that was surprisingly difficult when the laws of gravity had just been shot to hell) he began paddling towards the brightest source of light he could find. Just as a lack of oxygen was beginning to cause him to panic in earnest his head broke the surface and he gulped greedily at the air. He treaded water for a moment, taking the time to acknowledge that everything seemed to have reset itself the right way up and he'd somehow found himself in a swimming pool which was surrounded by books of all things, when the world turned on its axis one more time, flipping ninety degrees to the right without warning.

Wilfred barely had time to register what had happened before the water was forcing him downwards. He struck what would have been, should have been, a wall were the laws of gravity being obeyed, hard and covered his head and neck with his hands as the contents of the pool and the bookcases around it pummelled him from above. At long last the barrage of water and books stopped and Wilf raised his head cautiously off the ground, noting as he did so a distinct red tinge in the water where it had been laying but as his whole body was tingling painfully he had no way of knowing exactly where the blood was coming from.

"Wilf!" the Doctor's voice range out suddenly, "Wilfred?"

Heaving himself painfully into a sitting position he looked around properly, searching for his alien companion amongst the countless puddles and shelving unites and water soaked books which covered what was now the floor. He spotted him, finally, hurrying around the room and searching under fallen tables and bookcases and other sorts of rubble in a horribly uncoordinated manner though whether that was due to an injury or if this new Doctor was just like that Wilf couldn't be sure. "I'm here, Doctor," he called, his voice sounding tired even to his own ears. Men of his age certainly weren't meant to take this kind of beating.

The Time Lord was bent down by his side in an instant, uncoordinated or not, Wilf realized, the man was fast. "You alright, Wilf? You're bleeding."

Sensing an opportunity, he elderly man smiled. "Aye, I'm alright, I'm always alright," he quoted, before grimacing, "I'm just a bit too old for that kind of fall, is all."

"I'm older than you," the Doctor pointed out, still studying the other man critically.

Wilfred chuckled softly. "In memory only," he teased, hoping to chase the worry off the alien's face, "I'm alright, Doctor, really. Just a bit banged up is all."

"Oi!" came the indignant reply, "I can be very mature... At least, I think I can. Don't really know yet. Whole new me." He grinned brightly and stood up again, his eyes travelling to the door which was now more of a skylight in the ceiling, "Now, what to do about that..."

"Someone'll have to climb up," Wilf rationalized, looking at the Doctor pointedly, "Unless, of course, this ship of yours isn't finished bouncing us around."

The Time Lord waved his hand carelessly. "Oh no, we've landed."

"Landed?"

But the Doctor ignored him, bounding off again to resume digging through the various piles of rubble. "C'mon, Old Girl, don't you fail me now! Ah ha!" He stood up suddenly, grinning happily and clutching a grappling hook attached to a length of rope in his hands.

Wilf nearly laughed out loud. "Really?" he asked, shaking his head, "Not only have ya got a swimming pool in your library but you keep a supply of grappling hooks too?"

"The TARDIS exists across all of time," the Doctor explained as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "She sees things that have happened, are happening and will happen in the future and she never, ever lets me down." He waved the grappling hook cheerfully, as if to prove his point. "Now, shall we get out of here?"

But the old human gave him a sad smile. "You go," he said calmly, "There's no way I'm climbin' up that thing, not like this." He gestured towards the blood on his face and the tattered state of his suit. Oh if Donna could see the suit now... He winced slightly.

The Time Lord, however, seemed to mistake the wince for one of pain and the look of concern returned to his face. "Wilf..." He glanced up at the door again, then back at his companion looking uncertain. "Alright," he said finally, "I'll go up, just to see where we are mind, then I'll be back. I'll be right back. Five minutes – "

"Doctor," Wilfred cut him off kindly, "I know. I trust you."

"Why aren't you bothered by me?"

The question came out of nowhere and was so unexpected that the old human actually stared at the alien in surprise for a moment before tilting his head. "Bothered?"

"By me. This me. The new me. Most people, they aren't quite alright with the change, they don't quite understand it," the Doctor rambled uncertainly, watching Wilf closely as though trying to gauge his reaction, "They want me to be the same, act the same, but I'm not and I can't..."

But Wilfred just smiled. Not only did this version of the Doctor look younger, he seemed to act it too. Insecurity wasn't something he was used to seeing in the Time Lord's demeanor. "You're happy," he said softly, shifting so he was sitting in a more comfortable position on the floor, "And maybe that wouldn't seem right to some, considering you just died and all, but after everything, Doctor, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. You deserve it. So no, I'm not bothered by you, I'm proud of you."

The Doctor's grin was infectious. "I'll be right back," he assured once more.

"I know!" the old human laughed, "Now get out of here!"

The Time Lord offered him another massive grin before turning his attention back to the door above them and flinging the grappling hook upwards with all his might.